SHORT RUN TUNNEL: THE OLD D&PS RR

[twebb]

[from the rubric notes written by the author in the autobiography of EE Webb]

The old D&PS railroad (Denison and Pacific Suburban[1]) was only seven miles long. Of course it was part of the T&P. It ran from Denison to Sherman Junction, where it joined the main line.

There was a tunnel in the edge of Denison where our RR ran under the MKT. This tunnel was about 200 feet long and very narrow and also low. Its clearance above our engines was only about 6 inches. And the clearance on each side was only about 1 foot—it being built when the engines were small.

One night I had a new fireman who had never been over this road before. We came into Denison, about 3:30 am and I was running about 30 miles per hour. This tunnel showed up in the headlight and this fireman was ready to jump off.

I yelled to him to duck down. He was really scared. [Following figures an attempt by the editor to establish location of tunnel on the old abandoned roadbed – Tom Webb]

Figure 1 USGS Topographical Map 15 minute series

Figure 2 Zooming In USGS Topo Map 7 minute series

Figure 3 Satelite photo Old Roadbed and Tunnel by Lake

Figure 4 Computer generated flyover of Old Roadbed and Tunnel

[The editor would appreciate any better information on the location of, or photographs of the old tunnel.]

[1] DENISON AND PACIFIC SUBURBAN RAILWAY. The Denison and Pacific Suburban Railway Company, a subsidiary of the Texas and Pacific Railway Company, was chartered on April 18, 1895. The capital was $100,000. Members of the first board of directors included Alexander W. Acheson, William H. Abrams,qqv R. C. Shearman, Paul Naples, L. S. Thorne, B. S. Matheu, and T. J. Freeman, all of Texas. Seven miles of track was laid, connecting Denison with the Transcontinental Division of the Texas and Pacific in Sherman. Operations began on January 15, 1896. The company's office was in Denison until 1911, when it was transferred to Dallas. The line primarily shipped grain and coal; in the 1920s passenger service was discontinued. Abandonment of the Denison and Pacific Suburban was completed in September 1966. Handbook of Texas Online http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/onl ... eqd13.html

[Robin]

Morning,
Found this while digging around for information about the D,B &NO.

Robin Warren
Ivanhoe, Tx

http://www.abandonedrails.com/article.asp?id=462